First, it would help to have a tournament set up. If you all ready do, great. If not, stat looking into one. I would suggest looking for older used markers on the bst.
When you have all of your equipment, either try to form your own team or try to join an established one.

Once you have a team, just start practicing and playing smaller tournaments. Build up your experience. It won't happen overnight, but you will see gradual improvment over time, and so will other teams/coaches.

Just be willing to take criticism and advice from more experieinced players/coaches. Most people will tell you things that will help you.

First, it would help to have a tournament set up. If you all ready do, great. If not, stat looking into one. I would suggest looking for older used markers on the bst.
When you have all of your equipment, either try to form your own team or try to join an established one.

Once you have a team, just start practicing and playing smaller tournaments. Build up your experience. It won't happen overnight, but you will see gradual improvment over time, and so will other teams/coaches.

Just be willing to take criticism and advice from more experieinced players/coaches. Most people will tell you things that will help you.

Good luck to you.

Thanks for the advice.

I guess it would have been a helpful if I had mentioned that i have my whole set up and have been playing speed-ball for 6 years now and have competed in roughly 15 tournaments in that time. So i have the experience of tournament paintball.

We never played a full season together and the tournaments were spread out, you know one here and one there.

So what I am looking for is advise on how to get into the NPPL circuit at the lower division level.

Are there certain qualifying tournaments, certain ranking that are required, and things like that.

To play NPPL, you have to start at D4. BUt anyone can really sign up for that. All you need is an APPA ID number. This wll keep track of all the tournements you play and helps determine your ranking. Everyone on your team must have one. If you need one, go to paintball-players.org.

To play NPPL, you have to start at D4. BUt anyone can really sign up for that. All you need is an APPA ID number. This wll keep track of all the tournements you play and helps determine your ranking. Everyone on your team must have one. If you need one, go to paintball-players.org.

Thanks for the info, that sort of stuff is exactly what I am looking for.

For D4 5 man NPPL, entry is $1100, plus each player has to have an ID, and then you have to buy paint, and you have to use the tournament paint, so either evil ultra or valken. Plus cost of hotel and such.

example, my team is plannig to play NPPL Vegas, and we are driving there and We are budgeting $2500.

For D4 5 man NPPL, entry is $1100, plus each player has to have an ID, and then you have to buy paint, and you have to use the tournament paint, so either evil ultra or valken. Plus cost of hotel and such.

example, my team is plannig to play NPPL Vegas, and we are driving there and We are budgeting $2500.

That's not bad at all, for what you are doing and getting access to. Thanks for the info.

Now you need to factor in the cost of transportation, both to the event (flights) and once you're there. Don't forget to include the cost of gas for whatever vehicle you use at the event. Flights are usually in the neighborhood of $200 per person and rental cars vary. You may be looking at $600-$700 per player all said and done if you don't have good deals. You can cut a good sized chunk out of the event cost if you drive there. Not only does it cost less than flying, but you won't have to pay for a rental car once you're at the event. It also helps to know people attending so you can get rides with them instead of renting a car.

As you can see, it's not just competition that gets more intensive at national events - it's the cost as well. The most I have ever spent on a local tournament is $180, for xball. That wouldn't even cover my flight to PSP MAO last year, let alone entry, paint, hotel, or food.

Now you need to factor in the cost of transportation, both to the event (flights) and once you're there. Don't forget to include the cost of gas for whatever vehicle you use at the event. Flights are usually in the neighborhood of $200 per person and rental cars vary. You may be looking at $600-$700 per player all said and done if you don't have good deals. You can cut a good sized chunk out of the event cost if you drive there. Not only does it cost less than flying, but you won't have to pay for a rental car once you're at the event. It also helps to know people attending so you can get rides with them instead of renting a car.

As you can see, it's not just competition that gets more intensive at national events - it's the cost as well. The most I have ever spent on a local tournament is $180, for xball. That wouldn't even cover my flight to PSP MAO last year, let alone entry, paint, hotel, or food.

Thanks for the insight at the cost. From what I have seen so far from the responses, cost seem to be what I pictured they would be for events of this size and magnitude.

Some ways I can cut down the cost of flying is that, my mom has been a flight attendant for Delta for the last 30 years and 1 perk to that is that immediate family fly free till the age of 25 and then fly at heavily discounted prices, roughly $98 round trip coast to coast. So if any of you guys out their know someone in the airline business, ask them about "Buddy Passes". They are a hell of a lot cheaper than normal airfare.

I have heard around that some of the paintball leagues, smaller one such as here in Houston, HRL (Houston Rookie League), have prize packages which include money towards entry fees to big name events. Is this a a very common thing, or is it more of every once and awhile some do this?

Thanks for the insight at the cost. From what I have seen so far from the responses, cost seem to be what I pictured they would be for events of this size and magnitude.

Some ways I can cut down the cost of flying is that, my mom has been a flight attendant for Delta for the last 30 years and 1 perk to that is that immediate family fly free till the age of 25 and then fly at heavily discounted prices, roughly $98 round trip coast to coast. So if any of you guys out their know someone in the airline business, ask them about "Buddy Passes". They are a hell of a lot cheaper than normal airfare.

I have heard around that some of the paintball leagues, smaller one such as here in Houston, HRL (Houston Rookie League), have prize packages which include money towards entry fees to big name events. Is this a a very common thing, or is it more of every once and awhile some do this?

Thanks again eforcegtid00d for the info.

That happens sometimes, it really varies by area. Just keep in mind that you're gambling when you do that - either you get free entry or you have even less money to put toward the national event because you spent it on a local tournament.

That happens sometimes, it really varies by area. Just keep in mind that you're gambling when you do that - either you get free entry or you have even less money to put toward the national event because you spent it on a local tournament.

This is true. I think that its a fair argument to state that if you don't win the entry or anything at all, you do obtain more tournament practice as well as by not winning can show you some weakness that you and or your team have and can. Which maybe better than having an extra $200 bucks each and learning them at a National event.

But it is a valid point that if money is an issue that it my be better to hold off on the local tournament.

Any tips out there for what type of players should make up a team, meaning should you have 5 utility players, 3 front, 1 mid, and 1 back, i.e. I consider myself to be a mid to insert player, with the ability to play back if need be. I understand that this is a very preference bases question, but I am curious to hear what works for you guys out there.

Your standard PSP setup is a snake player, snake corner, dorito player, dorito corner, and back center. Your most dominant player should be the snake corner - he is responsible for keeping your snake player alive and controlling the tape so he can bump up.

Your standard PSP setup is a snake player, snake corner, dorito player, dorito corner, and back center. Your most dominant player should be the snake corner - he is responsible for keeping your snake player alive and controlling the tape so he can bump up.

In 5 man, D4, is it better to take snake 1 OTB, or to run in gun to a temporary bunker and then bump into snake? Again i understand that this is a very preference based question and also dependent on how the teams are playing at the tournament.

The more ground you take, the better. Just know that the further you send your snake player, the more likely they are to get shot off the break. Whether or not you want to take the risk is your decision.